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It’s not easy trying to describe ourselves when on an interview.  We wonder what exactly are they looking for us to say?  Is my answer going to sound too generic?  What if my response isn’t related to the type of person they are looking for?

So many questions and anxiety arise when on an interview and we are asked “what are three words that describe you?”

When answering this question, you want to respond with the word and follow it up with an example.  Below are three different examples of how you might respond to this question on an interview.

• The first is hard working.  Anyone I work with would say that I do whatever it takes to get the job done efficiently and effectively.  Second is team player because I excel in an environment that is supportive and work together.  Last would be knowledgeable about the recruiting industry.  Through my 11 years of experience, I have a strong background in all phases of recruiting.

• Reliable.  I always meet my deadlines.  Friendly.  I have a positive, upbeat attitude.  And thorough.  I am always trying to get it right the first time.

• First would be expert on the subject of recruiting.   Second would be communicator, because I talk with anyone I come in contact with.  Third would be organized because I always have a schedule planned out.

Think about ways you would describe yourself and write it down.  Then break down the list into one word descriptions of yourself and a short answer on why you would use that word to describe you.

Links for job seekers: JobSearchingStrategies.com, Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection, Job Search in the US, Job Search in Pittsburgh, Free Tips Newsletter, Need Job Search Help?

That’s right.  There is good news for all of you job seekers out there. 

• Earn 15% more
• Land a full time job
• Fill in the gaps on your resume
• Expand your network

Those bullet points seem like good news to me.  Temporary employment is a hot topic these days and can lead you into your next full time career.

I recently wrote an article called How to make temporary jobs work for you which talks about how in the last 6 months, the temporary employment trend has increased and can be a huge benefit for job seekers today.

Earn 15% more:  It’s being said that people working temporary jobs are making 15% more an hour, so although it’s only a temporary position, the increase in pay I’m sure could benefit many job seekers even if it is short term.

Land a full time job:  Many temporary projects turn into full time jobs and even though this is not always the case, it’s a great way to try out different jobs and companies to help you focus in your job search.  When you are working a temp position a company is able to evaluate you and your work.  If a full time position becomes available while you are temping for that company, you just may land yourself a full time position when you didn’t expect it.

Fill in the gaps on your resume:  With competition in the job seeking arena the less gaps on your resume the better.  Working temporary positions can help fill in the gaps on your resume, keep your skills up, and show that you are not one to sit around waiting for a job to land in your lap.

Expand your network:  Temping could be one of the best and easiest ways for you to expand your network.  It’s an opportunity to work with other people that you probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with.  You are able to examine and learn from others who are successful in their position and others are able to pass your name along to hiring managers, whether it’s in the company you are temping for or other companies that are hiring.

If you are a job seeker, now is the time to take advantage of temporary job opportunities.  You can search Indeed Jobs and find thousands of opportunities to break into this new trend.

Contractor jobs   Part Time jobs   Freelance jobs  Temporary jobs

Links for Job Seekers:  JobSearchingStrategies.com, Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection, Job Search in the US, Job Search in Pittsburgh, Free Tips Newsletter, Need Job Search Help?

The other morning I happened to catch the end of a segment on Good Morning America about the advantage of temporary jobs while looking for full time employment.  Tory Johnson, a workplace contributor shared tips on the advantages of temp work and how to find the work.

For the last 6 months, the temporary trend has been growing tremendously, in fact about 40,000 jobs have been added for temporary positions.    One benefit mentioned about temp work is that people are earning about 15% more hourly as a temp employee.

It’s hard for some people to think that working a temporary job is better than collecting unemployment while searching for full time.  I think that if you are able to get your foot in the door with a company, get paid more hourly, and possibly land a full time job, is a much better situation than collecting unemployment and waiting to land that new job.

Temporary work ranges from call center staffers and mailroom workers, to highly skilled workers such as accountants and business analysts. 

So increase your chances of getting back into the job market by adding temporary staffing firms as part of your job searching strategy.

You can view the full article on Good Morning America – Need a Job? Skilled Professionals, Low Wage Workers Needed to Temp

Links for job seekers: JobSearchingStrategies.com, Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection, Job Search in the US, Job Search in Pittsburgh, Free Tips Newsletter, Need Job Search Help?

A few weeks ago I came across a discussion posted on a LinkedIn group about “the hidden job market.”  It seems there’s some confusion about the hidden job market.  Job seekers seem to think that recruiters are making it out as if they have the magic wand to the hidden job market.  I think recruiters sometimes make the hidden job market more than what it really is and mislead job seekers.

So what is the hidden job market?  In simple terms, the hidden job market is any position that isn’t advertised or posted anywhere.   There’s no magical wand to that and frankly, recruiters don’t always have access to these hidden job opportunities.

For example, a few months ago when I was in between recruiting projects, I walked into a Recruiting company down the road from me to see if they were hiring recruiters.  I asked to speak to the Recruiting Manager and ended up having a 20 minute interview with him.  It ended up that they did have a recruiting opportunity that was going to be available the first of the year, but it wasn’t advertised yet.  That is an example of the hidden job market, because there was an opportunity available that wasn’t advertised yet and I stumbled across it because I walked in from the street seeing if there were any opportunities.

Now you know one way to tap into the hidden job market.  Walking into companies you have an interest in, asking for a manager, and hand delivering your resume.  Not only could the company have an upcoming opportunity not advertised yet, but what if that day or a few days later, someone quits.  What if the manager decides to speak with you for a few minutes and decides to create a position for you.  Those are all considered the hidden job market.

Recruiters do get access to the hidden job market as well, that is one of the advantages of using recruiters during your job search.  Sometimes companies have confidential job openings and are unable to advertise them, so they turn to recruiters to assist them with filling the position.  Also, companies don’t want to be overwhelmed with job applications from job postings or they may not have the budget to advertise jobs where they need to.  Again, that is were recruiters become an asset to a company and that is how recruiters are able to tap into the hidden job market.

Don’t be misled about the hidden job market.  There isn’t a magical, hidden island somewhere filled with job openings, but there are a ton of hidden job opportunities out there, you just need to know how to find them.

Here are few examples of how you can tap into the hidden job market:
*  Working with recruiters and staffing agencies
*  Walking into companies and hand delivering your resume
*  Attending job fairs and networking events
*  Getting involved within your community and volunteering
*  Letting friends, family, and acquaintances know you are in the job market

Remember, the hidden job market is any position that is not advertised.  Take active steps in your job search to find those hidden opportunities.  You never know when something can become available and you end up being in the right place, at the right time.

Links for job seekers: JobSearchingStrategies.com, Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Career Connection, Job Search in the US, Job Search in Pittsburgh, Free Tips Newsletter, Need Job Search Help?

Job searching is an extremely difficult task.  Not only is it time consuming, but with so many changes in job searching strategies, it’s overwhelming and confusing.

In conversations with job seekers I mentor and reading posts on social media sites, I am seeing some common questions and confusion when it comes to using keywords in a resume.

Question #1 – Should my resume have the same keywords that the job description has?
Answer – As a recruiter, when I am looking at the job description, I not only look at what the job entails, but I am zoning in on the requirements listed.  When I’m sourcing and reviewing resumes, I do look for specific keywords that are the same as those listed in the requirements.  With that being said, it would benefit a job seeker to take information from a job description and include it into their resume, of course only if it’s relevant.  There could be a downfall to this method.  After receiving a job description, there’s usually a one on one conversation with the hiring manager to go over the hot buttons and top 3 to 5 skills they want to see on someone’s resume.  I can’t tell you how many times the job description and the information the hiring manager gives about the job end up being completely different.  If that’s the case and I am not able to make changes to the job description that’s been posted, the theory of putting what’s in the job into your resume won’t be successful.

Question #2 - Why are keywords so important to have on a resume?
Answer – Most resumes are being manually entered, scanned, or automatically loaded into some sort of database.  Whether it’s a corporate database, a staffing company database, or a job board website.  The database is one of the major tools being utilized when searching for qualified candidates.  The way recruiters search a database is using keyword searches.  There are lots of little tricks and strategies recruiters can use when doing keyword searches.  Having keywords on your resume can increase your chances of being found during a search.  If I have an opportunity for a Software Engineer with extensive experience using C# within the finance industry, I can tell you that the words “software engineer” will not be the keywords I use to start my search.  I would do a search for C# and Finance.    It’s important to include keywords that are related to industry and skills so you can increase the number of times your resume shows up in a search.

Question #3 - Do I have to use a different resume for every job I apply to?
Answer – I am sure that many of you are really hoping that the answer to this question is No, because I know how much work it is to change a resume every time you apply for a different job.  Who wants to add more work?  Well here’s the thing, you don’t “have to” use a different resume for every job you apply to, but, it will definitely benefit you if you change your resume to reflect the specific job you are applying to.  This doesn’t mean you need to completely revamp your whole resume every time.  If you see skills required for the job that you have but don’t have listed on your resume, then you should be adding those skills.  The next position may require different skills and experience that you may have, so yes, change your resume to match the position.  Same thing with a cover letter.  Your cover letter should be targeting the specific company and position you are applying for.   If you want to stand out over other job seekers then you will need to put in a little bit of extra work to make sure you are standing out.

Question #4 - Are keywords more important then resume format?
Answer – Keywords are just as important as resume format.  Resume format is important because managers are looking for good written communication skills and want to be able to read a resume quickly and easily.  A resume loaded with keywords can be tossed in a second if the format is not professional or hard to read.  A great looking resume can be tossed in a second if there aren’t keywords jumping off the paper.  So a good resume will have relevant keywords to the job you are applying for and be written in a professional, easy to read format.  That’s why using a resume writer can be so beneficial for people because it’s not necessarily easy to put a resume together.   There’s no rocket science to resume writing (that’s why I only charge $25.00 to write resumes), but as a recruiter of 11 years, resume writing is part of my expertise and I would say I have some inside scoop on resume writing.

I hope that these questions and answers help to clear up your keyword and resume challenges.

If you have a job search question that you would like to ask, email cori.recruiter@gmail.com with the subject heading:  Ask the Recruiter

Moving into a new year, many of us are facing unemployment .  I know it’s not how I wanted to start the new year off.

Careerbuilder surveyed over 2,700 hiring managers and human resource professionals nationwide, finding answers to some upcoming hiring trends.  Some of the results include:

20% of employers plan to add full time employees, which is up from 14% in 2009.

11% of employers plan to add part time employees which is up from 9% in 2009.

Some industries mentioned that will be in demand are information technology, manufacturing, financial services, and sales.

Careerbuilder’s job forecast also includes what employers are doing moving forward in 2010, such as:

Moving more higher performing employees into roles that will replace the lower performing employees.

Using social media for company branding.

Bringing back laid off workers.

Flexibility of work arrangements to help maintain a better work-life balance.

There’s more interesting information included in the 2010 Job Forecast report.  It talks about freelance and contract hiring, and green jobs.  You can read the full report here:  Careerbuilder’s 2010 Job Forecast Finds

What does this mean for job seekers?

Information like this is a great tool for job searching, such as targeting companies that are within the industries that will be in most demand.  If you know that certain industries will most likely start hiring, research those companies in your area and see if they have a career board on their website.

Knowing what employers plan on doing and what their needs are, can help you to be more strategic when job searching.  You can target your resume, cover letter, and networking techniques based on the trends and needs of employers.

I would recommend checking out the full article on careerbuilder

I’ll continue to keep you updated on other job forecasts.  It’s interesting to see the results done on different employers, upcoming trends, and the changes in job searching strategy.

The competition for job seekers has been extremely high over the last year, especially the last 6 months of 2009.  With all of the job searching strategies out there on how to beat the competition, job searching during the holidays is a strategy often overlooked.

Many job seekers believe that the holidays are not a good time for job searching.   The buzz is always that companies don’t hire during the holidays or that companies don’t interview during the holidays.  That may be true for some companies, but there are plenty of other companies that are interviewing and able to hire during this time of year.  While your competition is taking a break over the holidays, you could be getting in front of the right people at the right time without having much competition at all.

Networking meetings could be easier to schedule during the holidays.  With the demand for work slowing down, people have more time to spend meeting and talking with others.   What many job seekers don’t realize is that sometimes companies have money left over in their budget and would rather spend it on hiring someone than to lose it.  Also, the holiday season is a time where people are giving their notice.  People feel the New Year is a good time to start fresh with a new company, which means more open opportunities.

Instead of thinking that the holidays is a time to slow down or to even stop your job search, take advantage of the many benefits of job searching during the holidays and stay in front of your competition.

Job fairs are held nationwide and can range from 100′s of companies attending to individual companies holding a job fair.  Many job seekers wonder if job fairs are worth going to and I’m sure there are several job seekers who have gone to a job fair before and said they will never attend one again.

When I was recruiting locally for Pittsburgh, I would attend several job fairs to represent the recruiting company I was working at that time.  What I remember about job fairs is getting bombarded by people who are looking for work, not knowing anything about the recruiting company I work for, and people handing me their resume without even knowing what I recruit for.  At the end of the day, I was walking away with 100′s of resumes that I needed to look through.  Of course not every resume was looked at and a lot of the times the recruiting manager would scuffle through the resumes, looking for the ones that jump out with the skills our clients are looking for.  Then the resumes would be distributed among the recruiters in the office.    The rest of the resumes would then need to be scanned into the searchable database for possible future use.  To me it seems very similar to submitting your resume to the online job boards.  You have no idea who will look at your resume and if your resume will even be looked at.

Today, job fairs are jam packed with people looking for work.  You see lines of people waiting to just hand their resume to the person representing the company and then when it’s your turn to shine and sell yourself, that representative spends less than 5 minutes with you.  It could be exremely frustrating and disappointing spending half of your day waiting in lines just to hand off a resume.

So are job fairs worth it?  Attending a job fair can be very beneficial to a job seeker, but not for the reasons most job seekers attend.  Also, if you are attending a job fair in hopes of getting a job offer or even an interview, the chances of those situations happening are very slim.

Here are 2 reasons a job fair could be beneficial to job seekers:

1. Research: Job fairs can be utilized to research companies that are hiring in the area and to see which staffing companies are there looking for qualified candidates.   Take notes on the names of companies there, jot down the names of those representing that company, and you don’t need to stand in line to gather that information.   Now that you have that information, you can research the company, go directly to the career section of their website, and you can even call into the company asking for the person that was at the job fair.
2. Networking:  I’m sure you knew that networking would be mentioned somewhere in this article.  Of course a job fair is an opportunity to network, not only with people from the companies, but with other job seekers as well.   You may find out about a job seeker support group that’s near by or run into some ex-coworkers that might have a few leads for you.  Seriously, you just never know what can happen when you network with others at a job fair.

I would suggest trying to find out what companies are attending the job fair before you go.  You could do research on those companies before attending the job fair and pick and choose a line you think would be worth standing in.  If there isn’t a company you are targeting, then I personally, do not feel it’s worth standing in those lines.

Many job seekers question whether job searching is beneficial during the holidays.  Since decision makers are taking time off and companies are reviewing year end budgets, a job seeker could think they should take time off from their job search during the holidays.

Job searching during the holidays could be very beneficial; here are 4 benefits to job searching during the holiday season.

1. Some company departments feel pressed to fill job openings before the end of the year so they can obtain headcount and budgets.
2. Many job seekers think holidays are a bad time of year to be job searching so they take a break. That could means less competition for those job seekers who continue to job search during the holiday season.
3. Hiring managers take notice of those who are job searching during the holidays.  It shows how serious the job seeker is and could lead to a position for when they company starts hiring in the beginning of the year.
4. During the holidays, companies may need to fill short term seasonal positions or may need coverage for employees who take time off during the holidays.  This is a great way for job seekers to get their foot in the door and possibly receive a full time opportunity.

With companies wanting to stay focused and on target with their goals in the New Year, the holidays could lead to some great opportunities for job seekers.  So take advantage of the holidays to job search, it could be your window of opportunity.

Doesn’t it always seem easier to help someone else and offer guidance, than it is to help you? So a few months ago, I found myself as a job seeker. I was the person I’m always offering guidance to. I should probably practice what I preach if I really believe it works, I mean I am suggesting it to others.

July, 2009, after 4 years of pretty much steady work, I found myself unemployed for 2 months. At first I was like wow, this really stinks! (I may have used a different word) So the panic set in after 4 weeks, I was actually okay with having a few weeks to focus on some writing and make some updates to the site (www.1on1careerhelp.com). But after 4 weeks, c’mon, I wasn’t comfortable with that! Oh and I know, people end up being laid off for very long periods of time, I help those people.

The day that I found out my project was ending; I contacted some recruiting managers within the company I work. Letting them know I will be available. Then I emailed some contacts outside of the company letting them know my status. I used LinkedIn and my personal email to make those first contacts. After a few days, I updated my resume and posted it on Monster.com, updated my profile on LinkedIn, and status on facebook. I am in several LinkedIn groups that are local to Pittsburgh, so I also sent a message with my skills and availability to the discussion boards. I updated my resume on my website and services that I offer. I made some great contacts and I was able to get some straight commission recruiting projects. I worked on a few and no nothing has come of them, but I was keeping up with my skills so to me it was worth it. I seriously enjoy what I do. I know it’s weird.

When I’m training and mentoring job seekers, I do teach a lot about LinkedIn and networking groups such as Meetup.com. Networking works. I did a lot of networking with people I know, people I have worked with at previous positions, that know my work, and they’re great contacts to pass along my name. Your personal network should be the first to contact, they already know you and you will be surprised how many people you already know, that can be great networks.

With my resume, I made sure I put in certain keywords that I know would be searched for someone with my skills. Again, I search for people online as my job! Now I need to be searched for. Some of the keywords I used were recruiter, sourcing, recruiting, virtual, career coach, and resume writing. So something else I practice and preach is making sure my resume has the words that are mostly likely to be searched for.

Honestly, I was glad to know I practice what I preach, because how messed up would it be if I was guiding others on things even I wouldn’t do! It could be pretty funny too I guess. No, just kidding.

For more strategies on job searching, visit JobSearchingStrategies.com

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